Dry chemical fire extinguisher



Jan. 30, 1934.

Filed May 15, 1953 Ella-:1

E. H. WARR ET AL DRY CHEMICAL FIRE EXTlNGUIsHER wuentof, b

lac/ward H /fI/Orr gaga/ffm 5f/30%@ Patented Jan. 30, 1934 DRY CHEMICAL FIRE EXTINGUISHER Edward H. Warr and Benjamin Harry Statter,

v Baltimore, Md.

Application May 15, 1933. Serial No. 671,218

3 Claims.

The present invention relates broadly to re extinguishers and more particularly to a portable re extinguisher of cylindrical, tank-like construction adapted to contain a quantity of dry chemical and a relatively large volume of gas under pressure, for dispensing and projecting the chemical, under the control of an operator, to the point of conflagration.

It has heretofore been proposed to provide, in an extinguisher of this type, a small, renewable container or cartridge for gas under high pressure or in a liqueed state, which is so constructed and mounted as to be discharged within the extinguisher, when desired, to raise the pressure therein and forcibly expel the chemical through a suitable nozzle attached to the extinguisher.

Devices of this character have proved to be most unreliable and uncertain in action, due to the fact that the charged condition of a cartridge cannot be determined prior to discharging the same for use within the extinguisher. Secondly, it is impossible to control the discharge of such cartridge devices so as to conserve the gas for adequate projection of the chemical over any desired or required period of time.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a compact, portable re extinguisher with improved means for storing and delivering compressed gas, under constant control of an operator, to the dry chemical chamber of the extinguisher for agitating and discharging the same in required amounts and for such periods of time as is necessary to extinguish the re.

The invention is preferably embodied in a cylindrical tank-like structure which is partitioned between its ends to provide an air or other gas compartment or chamber above the relatively smaller dry chemical chamber, the structure including stay means extending centrally through the compressed air chamber and through the end wall thereof, with which it is connected, to strengthen and brace the device for relatively high internal pressures, without materially increasing its Weight, and to provide means for establishing and controlling communication between the compressed air and chemical chambers.

A further object is to provide manually operated means within the shell of the extinguisher which is rigidly supported and projects from an end wall thereof and forms a part of said stay means, for controlling communication through said stay means to the chemical chamber.

Another object of the invention is to so construct and arrange the end portion of the stay means which projects into the chemical chamber that air supplied by the air chamber will be directed from its open Aend in a swirling slightly upwardly moving current to thoroughly agitate and carry with it the contents of the chemical chamber.

Other objects of the invention relate to the arrangement of the controllable intake to theI hollow stay means adjacent the uppermost end Wall of the air chamber to insure the delivery of dry air to the chemical chamber and to the integral construction and mounting of the discharge nozzle at the opposite or lower end of the hollow stay means, whereby it is rigidly supported from the spaced end walls or the air chamber for lateral or tangential discharge of air at a desired angle within the chemical chamber.

These and other objects will become apparent from the detailed description and appended claims.

Fig. l is a vertical sectional view'of a portable fire extinguisher constructed in accordance with and embodying the principles of our invention, with parts in elevation; r

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing the construction of the'air discharge nozzle and its relation to the side walls of the chemical chamber.

In the drawing, the cylindrical tank-like body or shell 5 of the extinguisher is Iclosed at its upper end by a crowned top 6 and at its lower end by an upwardly arched bottom 7. Between the ends of the extinguisher is a partition 8 to separate the upper compressed Aair chamber 9 from the lower chamber 10, which chamber is to be partially lled with a dry chemical by removing the lling plug 11 in the reentrantbottorn '7. The top or crown 6 of the chamber 9 is provided with a coupling 12 to which a suitable source of compressed air supply may be connected when required to raise the pressure of the air within the chamber to the desireddegree as indicated by the gage 13. At the centerof the top 6 is secured a valve 14' of standard construction having an inlet port 15, outlet port 16, and valve handle or Wheel 17. The portion of the valve carrying the inlet and outlet ports is positioned adjacent the inner side of the top 6 while the packing gland and valve handle project above the top as clearly indicated in Fig. l.

Secured within the outlet port of the valve 14, as by screw threads, is a section of pipe 18 which extends centrally through the compressed air chamber 9, partition 8, and into the upper end '110 of the chemical chamber 10. This pipe 18 is secured to the partition, preferably by welding, and provides with the valve 14 a hollow stay means for strengthening the compressed air tank or chamber, and further fuunctions as a means for conducting compressed air from the uppermost end of the tank to a point within the chemical chamber where a suitable discharge nozzle 19 is attached by means ofa coupling 20 to the end of the pipe as a rigid extension thereof. The nozzle 19 comprises a section of pipe or tubing which is offset at 21 and curved as at 22 to conform with the curvature of the cylindrical shell 5 of the chamber 10, so as to deliver air substantially tangentially with an upward inclination, whereby a swirling current is created that serves to carry the dry chemical spirally upwardly adjacent the cylindrical wall of the shell, then downwardly at the center of the chamber and out through the port 23 at the bottom of the chamber. A flexible hose 24 is connected with the port 23 at one end and at its other end carries a projection nozzle 25 having a manually operable valve 26 controlling the passageway therethrough.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that when the nre extinguisher is to be brought into service, the operator carries the extinguisher by the handle 27 as close as possible to the fire and opens the communication between the compressed air chamber 9 and chemical chamber 10 by rotating the Valve handle 17. kThen while directing the projection nozzle toward the flames the valve 25 is turned to open position permitting discharge of a stream el? air carrying the dry chemical which is projected against therburning Object at high velocity and aords a protection screen for the operator.

Tests have proven the herein described apparatus to be more effective in fighting large fires, and especially oil res, and more economical and dependable in use than apparatus of similar nature heretofore devised. The remarkable results which have been had with the extinguisher of the instant case are attributed to its extremely simple construction and lightness in weight brought about by the stayed construction of the relatively large compressed air reservoir and to the means associated therewith forimanually controlling the iiow of air to the desired point within the chemical chamber where it is discharged to produce a slightly upwardly swirling current, the air discharging means forming a rigid extension of the hollow stay and flow control means for the compressed air chamber.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that after the iire is extinguished in the manner described that the manually controlled valves are closed to conserve air and chemical.

We are aware that changes may be made in f the details of construction by those skilled in the art, without departing from the principles of this invention, and we do not propose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

We claim:

1. A nre extinguisher, comprising a cylindrical tank-like member partitioned between its ends to provide a compressed air chamber and a chemical chamber, a hollow member extending centrally through said compressed air chamber and into said chemical chamber, said hollow member serving as a stay means for rigidly connecting said partition to the remote end of said compressed air chamber and also as a means for conducting the compressed air to the chemical chamber from the compressed air chamber, and valve means located at the extremity of the hollow member remote from the chemical chamber to control communication between said chambers through said hollow member.

2. A rire extinguisher, comprising a cylindrical tank-like member partitioned between its ends to provide an upper compressed air chamber and a lower chemical chamber, a hollow member extending centrally through said air chamber and into said chemical chamber, said hollow member serving as a stay means for rigidly connecting said partition to the remote end of said compressed air chamber and also as a means for conducting the compressed air to the chemical chamber from the air chamber, said hollow member including a valve located substantially at the juncture of the hollow member and the end of the tank remote from the chemical chamber for controlling communication between said chambers, and the portion of said hollow inember extending into said chemical chamber being offset to present its discharge end at a tanm gent to the cylindrical wall of said chamber.

3. A nre extinguisher, comprising a cylindrical tank-like member partitioned between its ends to provide an upper compressed air chamber and a lower chemical chamber, a manually operable valve member secured in the end wall of said member remote from the chemical chamber and having inlet and outlet ports communicating with the interior of said chamber, a pipe connected to the outlet port of said valve and to said partition and extending centrally through said air chamber and'into said chemical charnber, said pipe serving as a stay means for rigidly connecting said partition to Vthe remote end of said compressed air chamber and also as a means for conducting the compressed air to the chemical chamber `from the air chamber the portion of said pipe extending into said chemical chamber being offset and curved to present its discharge end adjacent and at a tangent to the cylindrical wall of said chamber, a flexible discharge pipe connected to said chemical chamber adjacent the bottom thereof, and a Valve controlled projection nozzle carried by said ilexible pipe'.

EDWARD H. WARR. B. HARRY STAT'ER. 

